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INTRODUCTION Pediatric patients often receive vasoactive agents following cardiothoracic surgery or when in shock. The use of vasoactive agents varies between different settings and has largely changed because of anecdotal observations or small observational studies. Although vasoactive agents are frequently used, there are limited studies in pediatric populations comparing them to one another. The purpose of this systematic review is to quantify the comparative effects of epinephrine and dopamine while identifying gaps in knowledge. METHODS A systematic review of published manuscripts was completed to identify full-text manuscripts in English using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases. Studies were included if they included clinical data using dopamine and epinephrine in different patients and included data for the same end points for patients receiving epinephrine or dopamine. RESULTS A total of 5 studies with 397 patients were included. Of the included patients, 187 received epinephrine and 210 received dopamine. The mean age for all the patients was 45 months. When all patient data were pooled, a significantly lower mortality was associated with epinephrine compared with dopamine (risk ratio, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.55-0.99). When only neonatal data were pooled, epinephrine was associated with a significantly higher average heart rate (10 bpm; 95% CI, 2.0-18.7) and a significantly lower average mean arterial blood pressure (-2.5 mm Hg; 95% CI, -4.6 to -0.4). CONCLUSION Limited data are available comparing dopamine to epinephrine in pediatric patients. The available data demonstrate an apparent mortality benefit associated with the use of epinephrine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carnitine is an essential amino acid involved in transporting fatty acids across the mitochondrial membrane. Fatty acids are a primary source of energy for the myocardium. Studies in adults demonstrated decreased carnitine levels in the ischemic myocardium, but subsequent exogenous carnitine supplementation showed improvement of myocardial metabolism and left ventricular function. However, only limited data regarding carnitine are available in pediatrics. A single-center retrospective, paired data study was conducted. Patients < 18 years, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 55% by echocardiography, and had received at least 7 days of oral or intravenous carnitine supplementation between January 2018 and March 2021 are included in the study. Several endpoints and covariates were collected for each patient: before, one week after, one month after, and 6 months after carnitine supplementation. Univariate analysis consisted of an analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to model LVEF while adjusting for other variables. 44 patients included in the final analyses. LVEF significantly improved from 50.5 to 56.6% (p < 0.01). When LVEF was adjusted for other interventions (mechanical ventilation, afterload reduction, diuretic therapy, spironolactone), the estimated means demonstrated a significant increase from 45.7 to 58.0% (p < 0.01). Free carnitine level increased significantly (p = 0.03), and N-terminal-pro-brain natriuretic peptide (p = 0.03), creatinine (p < 0.01), and lactate (p < 0.01) all significantly decreased over the study period. Carnitine supplementation in pediatric patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction may be associated with an increase in LVEF and improvement in laboratory markers of myocardial stress and cardiac output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusions are commonly administered in pediatric patients following the Norwood operation. This study was conducted to determine the effect of PRBC transfusions on hemodynamic parameters in pediatric patients with single-ventricle physiology and parallel circulation. A single-center, retrospective chart review was conducted. Pediatric patients admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit after Norwood operation between 2017 and 2018 were identified. Hemodynamic parameters were collected within a four-hour period before and after a PRBC transfusion. Univariate analyses using paired t tests were conducted to compare blood gas values before and after PRBC transfusion. Next, multivariate regression analyses were conducted to model the impact of transfusion volume, change in hemoglobin levels, and change in FiO2 on the change in PaO2 and PaCO2. These analyses included data from 33 eligible patients who received a PRBC transfusion following a Norwood operation. The hemoglobin levels (p < 0.01) and the PaO2/FiO2 ratio (p = 0.04) were significantly increased, while arterial lactate levels (p = 0.03) were significantly decreased following the transfusion. Transfusion for a pre-transfusion hemoglobin of 12.4 g/dL appears to provide greatest reduction in lactate, used as a surrogate marker for systemic oxygen delivery. No significant changes were found in arterial pH, PaO2, and PaCO2. PRBC transfusions following the Norwood operation may be a useful intervention to increase systemic oxygen delivery, improving PaO2/FiO2 ratio and improving serum lactate. The benefits of PRBC transfusions must be weighed against previously identified risks on a patient-specific basis. Further studies are warranted to further delineate the effects of such transfusions in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]